Method and apparatus for combined projection



w. G WOLFE 1,871,767

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMBINED PROJECTION Aug. 16, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1928 fizvezzlol' Whitetail/01ft filiaw Aug. 16, 1932. w. G. WOLFE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMBINED PROJECTION Filed March 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 11212010301 ll kllerlil olfe I 4 I Q I (I! Qy A flilarlwv Patented Aug. 16,1932

UN ITED STATES P WALTER G. WOLFE, OF GREENWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILMOT R. EVANS, OI, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, TRUSTEE METHOD AND APP ARATUS FOR COMBINED PROJECTION Application filed March 2, 1928. Serial No. 258,514.

My present invention relates to the projection of pictures and pictorial and color effects and particularly to translucent screen projection. In this art in which I have previously discussed various phases in prior applications I have provided for certain possibilities which in their present application relate to improvements in projection which I will discuss herein in terms of translucent assimilation.

To present this in an immediate phase of usefulness I will discuss it in terms of bilateral projection. In this I contemplate both color and pictorial projection as I have heretofore set forth but in more perfected development.

In the depiction of many subjects, as in supplementative or augmentive motives or effects, I contemplate working from both side's of the screen. The advantages of bi-lateral effects are important as to stereographic approximations and as to illumination and there is also a large field in explanatory or suggestive presentation concurrent with continued or sustained depiction.

My answer as herein involved lies in opposed projection in which independent proections are presented on a common screen or surface. The difficulties of such projection are various but I shall treat them principally on the basis of comparative luminosity and regional control, although it is to be understood that these factors while important, are to be understood as combinative factors in the larger field. I

As illustrative of my invention I show in the accompanying drawings somewhat diagrammatic figures presentlng characteristic phases.

In these drawings Fig. l'shows a diagrammatic set.

Fig. 2 a control system.

Fig. 3 indicates one form of screening device.

Fig. 4 another form of such device.

Fig. 5 an elevation of a mounting for such a device, and

Fig. 6 a sectional view of the same.

As illustrating a characteristic set up for the practice of my invention I have shown in Fig. 1 a screen S set in a proscenium arch P over a stage G and behind a usual footlight F. I have indicated at Y generally an audience area and at W the back wall of the stage.

At M I have indicated a moving picture machine having a wide angle lens system L for rear stage projection on a screen S and at M I have indicated another projector, as for example, another moving picture machine disposed for projection in front of the screen S. 0

with a screening system or beam' control Z the 5 construction and details of which are indicated characteristically in Figs. 3 and 4, the same being apparatus previously presented in application Serial No. 258,513. These in general consist of intercepting members Z which may be moved relative to the projection axis to vary the intensity of field areas as desired. In the manipulation of such apparatus in accordance with my invention a. great variation of effects may be attained and while these 76 It is frequently desired in connection with 35 the development of the plot of a pictorial story to introduce a suggestion of preceding or foreshadowed events. This has been gen-' erally accomplished with some difficulty by double printing on the film. This has been expensive to do and being mechanical in its nature lacks that subtlety which is so important to the problem of suggestion without overemphasis. It will be understood that in many instances it is desirable to project a scene in which, for example, an actor is shown in the performance of a continuing part in supplement to the action in another scene. For this purpose both front and backstage projection is advantageous and my invention producing the merging of teristic screening devices which I have shown Lsomewhat diagrammatically. They may-be of wire mesh or of smoked or colored glass. In Fig. 3 I have indicated at Z a form made up of a plurality of superimposed meshes which produce a darkened efl'ect preferably of greater density at the center. In Fig. 4 I have shown'at Z a glass screen'which may have centrally of it a darkened portion which may be of glass of greater density or may be a pieceof mesh superimposed. In order to 1 control the position of the darkened spot on the screen, I may provide a simple device as indicated in Fig. 5. In this I mount a frame 1 having a slideway 2 in which is a slide 3. The frame 1 is mounted in any convenient way to turn axially of the projected beam as on the lens tube T of the projector. The slide may therefore be not only moved to any position transversely of the beam" but by rotation of they frame 1 may be moved at any 2!! angle desired so 'that the screen member Z which is supported in the frame 3 as by wires 2 may be made to intercept light on any part of the screen projection. By a proportioning of backstage andfrontstage illumination the 80 combined effect of the two projections may be controlled in relative intensity as well as in screen area, so that the remembered scene heretofore suggested may be made to gradually appear as a part of the cbntinuing projection from the backstage machine M and gradually come into prominence and graduallv fade away.. As desired, its location and the extent of intercept with the screen may be varied so that not only canthe scene be shown 40 as purely mental but can be brought into increasing proximity to the actor I where, for

example, an increase of closeness of the scene 2'maybe effective as influencing the action of the actor 1. For example, the recollection 5 of the mad dog in the recalled scene 2 may be carried forward by having the scene 2 moved nearer the actor 1 so that the thought and fear of the mad dog in its approachto the actor 1 may be intensified. In this way a recalled scene may be made more than a mere recollection and may be made an actual part of the action of the film projected from the machine M.

Other effects and combinations may be made. A different type of effect may be made, for example, by introducing a factor of color into the machine M. This I have .not attempted to illustrate in the drawings. In fact, the machine M may be Worked as so a spotlight. However, the colored pictorial projection offers a somewhat broader basis for explanation. By way of example it will be seen that a sunrise or sunset effect may be introduced from the machine M in which 3 the colors and changes of the setting sun may the pictorial efi'ect.

understood as within the be merged in the scene from the machine M. Fire effects may be produced with great vividness and without the embarrassment of' subtly that the supernatural effect is at' tained'. This also applies to scenes in which it is desirable to introduce dangerous factors like wild animals.

In another phase of my invention (not illustrated) the actual pictorial effects are greatly enhanced by double projection or by double illumination. While the translucent screen in simple production may be considered as a single surface, it is, of course, a body of physical dimension and thickness so that there are actually two surfaces of illumination. I find that in such projection or illumination on ordinary picture acquires an apparent stereoscoptic effect in which by reason'of the differentiated illumination the figure is brought into such contrast that it seems to stand out from the viewed surface.

In another phase of my invention (also not illustrated) the matter of titles is referred to as characteristic. By apportioning my areas of illumination I am able to introduce titles without interfering with or detracting from All such effects and manipulations of such apparatus are to be purview of my invention as set forth in the claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. In a picture projection system, a translucent screen, a backstage projector, means independent of the film for varying the light intensity locally of the field of the beam thereof, a front stage projector, and means for locally varying the light intensity of its beam for producing a selective predominance of one of the beams on the screen sired area. Y

2. In a picture projection system, atranslucent screen, a backstage short focus wide angle projector, a radial variable light intensity control for the field of the beam thereof, a front stage projector, a radial variable light intensity control for its beam, and means for operating said controls to provide for local selective redominance of either the combined light intensities on the screen in any desired area.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WALTER G. WOLFE. 

